UPDATES: NStar got the gas turned off around 11:40 a.m. Robert Love reported at 12:40 that the streets were re-opened and that people were being let back into their offices - except 3-5 Cambridge Center.

Comments

Just minutes ago, as I was driving on Summer St. in Arlington, an NSTAR guy was marking the street, and it appeared that he was holding a dowsing rod. I sincerely hope the bent wire he was holding was something else.

I used to work for National Grid, and I can tell you that the old gas guys actually do this. In my opinion, it's a way to justify their "gut feel" for where the pipe is in relation to their maps. In reality, it's certainly bogus. As a side note, many gas pipes have an energized locator tape that will help find the main with a detector similar to electric lines. But I certainly don't think a dowsing rod would be effective in finding that!